ERIN DUKE

Erin Duke is a conductor, composer, educator and performer based in Los Angeles, CA. Erin currently serves as the Band Director at Western Christian Schools and is passionate about her work with young musicians - teaching a wide gamut of students from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley, Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps, Élan Percussion, Citrus College and Azusa Pacific University. As a performer, Erin has toured most of the continental U.S. as a concert percussionist and has had the immense opportunity to play under conductors Larry Livingston and Grant Gershon of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Additionally, she is a member of symphonic ensembles across SoCal like Symphonic Winds of the Pacific and the Claremont Symphony Orchestra.

Erin holds both a double Bachelor of Music degree in Percussion Performance and Composition, as well as a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting from Azusa Pacific University. She has significant experience composing for wind band and percussion ensemble and has been acclaimed for her percussion works via the publishing company Tapspace Percussion. Her works have made percussion repertoire lists in numerous states as well as been featured in the Percussive Notes journal. Erin has long-standing associations with a number of musical organizations, including CBDNA, NBA and ASCAP. She has earned conducting grants from CBDNA and the University of Miami receiving the Mike Moss Study Grant and an instrumental conducting fellowship at the inaugural Frost Young Women Conductors' Symposium. Most recently, Erin presented a research project entitled "Compelling Communication of Effective Ensembles: Conductor and Performer Perceptions of Transformational Imagery vs. Veridical Language" 

at the CBDNA Western/Northwestern Division Conference.